U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,122,110 and 4,291,126 and French Pat. No. 2,523,957, disclose the use of catalysts in a process for manufacturing a mixture of alcohols from CO, H.sub.2 or CO, CO.sub.2, H.sub.2 mixtures. These catalysts generally have a good selectivity in the conversion of carbon oxides and hydrogen to alcohols, and their selectivity to C.sub.2 and higher saturated linear primary alcohols is often higher than 70% by weight. Furthermore, their initial productivity is substantial and very often at least about 0.1 ton of alcohols per ton of catalyst per hour.
The obtained alcohols have many uses; in particular the production of a high proportion of C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alcohols is interesting for the use in admixture with hydrocarbon cuts, as mixed hydrocarbons-alcohols motor fuels. As a matter of fact the higher alcohols are more compatible with hydrocarbons than methanol and, in addition, facilitate the incorporation of methanol thereto.